CN107124089B

CN107124089B - Cooling device for power converter

Info

Publication number: CN107124089B
Application number: CN201611045551.5A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 金圣大
Original assignee: LSIS Co Ltd
Current assignee: LS Electric Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-02-22
Filing date: 2016-11-24
Publication date: 2020-06-16
Anticipated expiration: 2036-11-24
Also published as: JP2017153340A; EP3208556A1; JP6279058B2; US20170241676A1; KR20170098545A; CN107124089A; EP3208556B1; ES2873356T3; US10426065B2

Abstract

A cooling device, comprising: a compressor configured to generate compressed air; first and second vortex tubes configured to generate cold air based on compressed air generated from the compressor; a first valve mounted between the compressor and the first vortex tube; a second valve mounted between the compressor and the second vortex tube; a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor installed in a power converter and configured to measure an internal temperature of the power converter; and a control unit configured to determine whether the first and second vortex tubes supply the cold air into the power converter based on first and second temperatures measured by the first and second temperature sensors, respectively, and to transmit a valve-opening signal or a valve-closing signal to the first and second valves based on a result of the determination.

Description

Cooling device for power converter

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a cooling device, and more particularly, to a cooling device for a power converter including a vortex tube to allow the cooling device to stably cool the power converter.

Background

As a power converter, devices used in the industrial field, such as an inverter for motor driving, a solar inverter, an Electric Energy Storage (EES), etc., generate heat when they are driven.

Since heat generated when driving the power converter causes deterioration in performance, reduction in lifetime, operation stoppage, and the like of the device, it has been required to develop a system for cooling the device with high efficiency.

Therefore, various cooling devices for cooling the power converter have been proposed. The cooling device may be classified into an air-blowing type and a water-cooling type.

The air blowing type is a method of forcibly dissipating heat generated from a power converter using a fan, which is also called a forced air cooling technique. The air blowing type is a technique for driving a fan to circulate air between heat radiating fins to maintain the power converter at an appropriate temperature.

However, the existing air-blowing type cooling device has a limitation in installation environment because there is a possibility that cooling efficiency is lowered depending on environmental conditions, and an arc is generated due to dust.

Further, the conventional air blowing type cooling device takes time to periodically replace the fan depending on the driving time and environment of the fan. However, this results in maintenance costs for stopping and replacing the inverter connection product group when the fan is replaced.

Further, the existing blow type cooling device has a limitation in application to various industries requiring explosion-proof capability because it is exposed to air.

Further, since the existing air-blowing type cooling device requires a plurality of heat radiating fins for proper cooling, there is a difficulty in compactness and lightness of the power converter due to restrictions on the weight and volume of the heat radiating fins.

Disclosure of Invention

An aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a cooling device for a power converter, which includes a vortex tube to allow the cooling device to stably cool the power converter.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cooling apparatus for a power converter, including: a compressor configured to generate compressed air; first and second vortex tubes configured to generate cold air based on compressed air generated from the compressor; a first valve mounted between the compressor and the first vortex tube; a second valve mounted between the compressor and the second vortex tube; a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor installed in the power converter and configured to measure an internal temperature of the power converter; and a control unit configured to determine whether the first and second vortex tubes supply the cold air into the power converter based on first and second temperatures measured by the first and second temperature sensors, respectively, and to transmit a valve-opening signal or a valve-closing signal to the first and second valves based on a result of the determination.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a cooling apparatus for a power converter, including: a plurality of compressors configured to generate compressed air; a plurality of vortex tubes configured to generate cold air based on compressed air generated from the plurality of compressors; a plurality of valves mounted between the compressor and the vortex tube; a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor installed in the power converter and configured to measure an internal temperature of the power converter; and a control unit configured to determine whether the vortex tube supplies the cool air into the power converter based on first and second temperatures measured by the first and second temperature sensors, respectively, and to transmit a valve-opening signal or a valve-closing signal to the valve based on a result of the determination, wherein the plurality of compressors, vortex tubes, and valves are formed in a one-to-one correspondence.

The plurality of valves may include: a first valve mounted between the first vortex tube and a corresponding compressor; and a second valve installed between the second vortex tube and the corresponding compressor.

The control unit may compare the first temperature with a preset first set temperature, transmit the valve-opening signal to the first valve when the first temperature exceeds the first set temperature, and transmit the valve-closing signal to the first valve when the first temperature does not exceed the first set temperature.

The control unit may compare the second temperature with a preset second set temperature, send the valve opening signal to the second valve when the second temperature exceeds the second set temperature, and send the valve closing signal to the second valve when the second temperature does not exceed the second set temperature.

The first temperature sensor may be mounted in a case of the power converter, and the second temperature sensor may be mounted in a power conversion semiconductor device of the power converter.

The plurality of vortex tubes may include: a first vortex tube installed to supply the cool air to a case side of the power converter; and a second vortex tube installed to supply cold air to a power conversion semiconductor device side of the power converter.

[ advantages of the invention ]

According to the present invention, a fanless design may be provided, thereby reducing the cost of fan replacement, and a vortex tube having semi-permanent durability is provided, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

In addition, when the cooling system of the present disclosure is applied, since the case of the power converter can be manufactured in a sealed form, the dustproof capability and the explosion-proof capability can be secured, thereby allowing application to various environments.

Further, since the temperature of the cool air is low, the volume and the number of the heat radiating fins can be reduced, thereby reducing the volume and the weight of the power converter.

Furthermore, since the case of the power converter can be manufactured in a sealed fanless form, noise prevention capability can be improved, allowing a low-noise power converter to be designed.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a view showing the configuration of a cooling device for a power converter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 2 shows one example of a heat exchanger applied to a power converter cooling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 3 shows another example of a heat exchanger applied to a power converter cooling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation sequence of the power converter cooling apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

The above objects, features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiments, but may be implemented in various ways. Accordingly, those skilled in the art can easily understand and practice the technical ideas of the present disclosure. The spirit and scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims. Throughout the drawings, the same or similar elements are denoted by the same reference numerals.

In the following detailed description of the present disclosure, if it is considered that functions and/or structures may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present disclosure, detailed descriptions of the related functions or structures will be omitted. Terms used herein are defined in view of functions in the embodiments, and may vary depending on intention or practice of a user or an operator. Therefore, the definition of the terms should be made based on the contents of the specification.

Hereinafter, the configuration and function of a cooling device for a power converter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to fig. 1, a cooling apparatus 100 for a power converter (hereinafter, referred to as 'cooling system') according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes, but is not limited to, a power converter 110, a temperature sensor 120, a compressor 130, a first valve 140, a second valve 150, a first vortex tube 160, a second vortex tube 170, and a control unit 180.

The power converter 110 is a device for converting a form of power (e.g., current, voltage, frequency, etc. of the power) depending on where it is used. For example, the power converter 110 may be an inverter for motor drive, a solar inverter, an Energy Storage System (ESS), a converter, or the like.

The power converter 110 includes a plurality of heat sinks mounted in a sealed case 111, and a semiconductor device 113 for power conversion.

That is, although the conventional power converter is of an open type because it has a structure including a fan, the power converter 110 of the present disclosure is of a sealed type.

For example, the heat sink 112 may be located at the lowest point in the power converter 110, and the power conversion semiconductor device 113 may be located above the heat sink 112, but is not limited thereto.

Further, a plurality of power conversion semiconductor devices 113 may be located in the power converter 110. The number of power conversion semiconductor devices 113 included in the power converter 110 may be set differently.

The temperature sensor 120 is installed in the power converter 110, and measures the internal temperature of the power converter 110, and then provides it to the control unit 180.

The temperature sensor 120 may include a first temperature sensor 121 for measuring the internal temperature of the power converter 110 and a second temperature sensor 122 for measuring the temperature of the power conversion semiconductor device 113. The first temperature sensor 121 may be mounted adjacent to the case 111 and the second temperature sensor 122 may be mounted adjacent to the power conversion semiconductor device 113.

That is, the first temperature sensor 121 may be installed in the case 111 of the power converter 110, and may measure the temperature of the case 111. The second temperature sensor 122 may be mounted in the power conversion semiconductor device 113, and may measure the temperature of the power conversion semiconductor device 113.

The compressor 130 is arranged to supply compressed air to a first vortex tube 160 and a second vortex tube 170. The temperature of the cold air and the hot air generated from the vortex tube may vary depending on the temperature and pressure of the compressed air.

Accordingly, the temperature and pressure of the compressed air supplied by the compressor 130 may be appropriately selected depending on the use and installation environment of the cooling system 100.

For example, the compressor 130 may be composed of a pump for generating compressed air and a pressure tank for storing the compressed air generated by the pump, but is not limited thereto.

The first valve 140 is installed between the compressor 130 and the first vortex tube 160, and controls the flow of compressed air by being opened or closed according to the control of the control unit 180.

Specifically, the first valve 140 is opened according to the control of the control unit 180 such that the compressed air provided from the compressor 130 is supplied to the first vortex tube 160. Further, the first valve 140 is closed according to the control of the control unit 180, so that the compressed air provided from the compressor 130 is interrupted from being supplied to the first vortex tube 160.

The compressor 130 and the first vortex tube 160 may be connected by a tube on which the first valve 140 may be mounted.

The second valve 150 is installed between the compressor 130 and the second vortex tube 170, and controls the flow of the compressed air by being opened or closed according to the control of the control unit 180.

Specifically, the second valve 150 is opened according to the control of the control unit 180 such that the compressed air provided from the compressor 130 is supplied to the second vortex tube 170. Further, the second valve 150 is closed according to the control of the control unit 180, so that the compressed air provided from the compressor 130 is interrupted from being supplied to the second vortex tube 170.

The compressor 130 and the second vortex tube 170 may be connected by a tube on which the second valve 150 may be mounted.

The first and

second vortex tubes

160 and 170, which are referred to as 'Ranque-Hilsch vortex tubes', separate compressed air supplied from the compressor 130 to generate cold air and hot air.

Matters regarding the shape and design of the first and

second vortex tubes

160 and 170 may be appropriately selected by those skilled in the art depending on the purpose of use and the installation environment. The first vortex tube 160 and the second vortex tube 170 may be selected from a variety of vortex tubes known in the art.

The cool air generated from the first and

second vortex tubes

160 and 170 is supplied into the power converter 110 and functions to reduce the temperature of the power converter 110.

In particular, the first vortex tube 160 may be arranged at a location adapted to reduce the temperature of the housing 111 of the power converter 110. In addition, the second vortex tube 170 may be arranged at a position suitable for reducing the temperature of the power conversion semiconductor device 113 of the power converter 110.

For example, the first vortex tube 160 may be installed such that cool air generated from the first vortex tube 160 is directed toward the housing 111. The second vortex tube 170 may be disposed adjacent to the power conversion semiconductor device 113.

The control unit 180 receives the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 120 and determines whether the first and

second vortex tubes

160 and 170 must supply cold air to the power converter 110 based on the received temperature.

The control unit 180 compares the first temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 121 with a preset first set temperature. As a result of the comparison, if the first temperature exceeds the first set temperature, the control unit 180 determines that the first vortex tube 160 has to supply cool air to the power converter 110.

In addition, the control unit 180 compares the second temperature measured by the second temperature sensor 122 with a preset second set temperature. As a result of the comparison, if the second temperature exceeds the second set temperature, the control unit 180 determines that the second vortex tube 170 must supply cool air to the power converter 110.

The first set temperature and the second set temperature may be set by a user in consideration of an applied system and an installation environment. For example, the first set temperature may be set to fall within a range of 80 ℃ to 100 ℃, and the second set temperature may be set to fall within a range of 100 ℃ to 120 ℃.

The flow rate of the cool air supplied by the vortex tube 160 and the vortex tube 170 may be adjusted by a valve. When it is determined that the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 120 is higher than the preset temperature range and thus the

valves

140 and 150 are controlled to be opened, the control unit 180 may control the opening degrees of the

valves

140 and 150 to adjust the flow rate. At this time, the flow rate of the introduced air may be preset depending on the degree to which the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 120 exceeds the preset temperature. For example, a flow rate when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 120 exceeds a preset temperature by 1 to 10 ℃ and a flow rate when the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 120 exceeds a preset temperature by 11 to 20 ℃ may be preset. Depending on the degree to which the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor 120 exceeds the preset temperature, the control unit 180 controls the

valves

140 and 150 so that the set flow rate of the cool air can be introduced.

Meanwhile, when the control unit 180 determines that the first vortex tube 160 has to supply cold air to the power converter 110, the control unit 180 transmits a valve opening signal to the first valve 140.

In addition, when the control unit 180 determines that the second vortex tube 170 must supply cold air to the power converter 110, the control unit 180 sends a valve open signal to the second valve 150.

Accordingly, the first and

second valves

140 and 150 are opened in response to receiving the valve opening signal of the control unit 180. Accordingly, the compressed air provided from the compressor 130 may be supplied to the first and

second vortex tubes

160 and 170 via the first and

second valves

140 and 150.

On the other hand, if the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 121 does not exceed the first set temperature (i.e., is equal to or lower than the first set temperature), the control unit 180 determines that the first vortex tube 160 does not need to supply cold air to the power converter 110.

In addition, if the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor 122 does not exceed the second set temperature (i.e., is equal to or lower than the second set temperature), the control unit 180 determines that the second vortex tube 170 does not need to supply cold air to the power converter 110.

When the control unit 180 determines that the first vortex tube 160 does not need to supply cool air to the power converter 110, the control unit 180 sends a valve closing signal to the first valve 140.

In addition, when the control unit 180 determines that the second vortex tube 170 does not need to supply cold air to the power converter 110, the control unit 180 transmits a valve closing signal to the second valve 150.

The first and

second valves

140 and 150 are closed in response to receiving a valve closing signal of the control unit 180. Accordingly, the compressed air supplied from the compressor 130 may be interrupted by the first and

second valves

140 and 150 to prevent the compressed air from being supplied to the first and

second vortex tubes

160 and 170.

Fig. 2 and 3 show the power conversion semiconductor device 113 of fig. 1 in detail. Fig. 2 shows a finned heat exchanger and fig. 3 shows a tube heat exchanger.

Fig. 2 shows an embodiment of a finned heat exchanger, fig. 2A being a side view and fig. 2B being a plan view. Referring to fig. 2, the heat exchanger 210 is formed on the power conversion semiconductor device 113 and sealed by the case 111 of the power converter.

When the heat exchanger 210 is a fin type heat exchanger, the heat exchanger 210 may be configured to include a hermetic case 111 and columns 212 and disks 214 alternately stacked in the hermetic case 111. However, the structure of the heat exchanger 210 is not limited thereto.

Specifically, the heat exchanger 210 has a stacked structure in which a column 212 is formed on the bottom of the hermetic case 111, a disc 214 is formed thereon, another column 212 is formed on the disc 214, and the like.

At this time, the sealing case 111 may be made of a material having poor heat transfer and good heat insulation.

In one embodiment, the plurality of pillars 212 may be formed in a cylindrical shape to provide a smooth air flow. The pillars 212 may be arranged perpendicular to the air flow so that heat may be efficiently transferred to the power conversion semiconductor devices 113.

In addition, the flow guide 216 may be installed in or near the inner side of the hermetic case 111 so that the air introduced into the hermetic case 111 may smoothly move.

In one embodiment, the flow guide 216 is formed between the outermost column 212 and the hermetic case 111 in the same direction in which the air introduced into the hermetic case 111 is moved.

Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a tube heat exchanger, fig. 3A is a side view and fig. 3B is a plan view.

Referring to fig. 3, when the heat exchanger 310 is a tube type heat exchanger, the heat exchanger 310 performs heat exchange in a manner of extending the air flow length. Such a heat exchanger 310 has a high heat exchange capacity, but may have an influence on the effect of a vortex tube because flow resistance increases with an increase in the length of the flow tube 312 or a decrease in the diameter of the flow tube 312. Therefore, it is necessary for a user to appropriately adjust the length and diameter of the flow tube 312 installed in the heat exchanger 310.

Depending on the shape of the flow tube 312, the heat exchanger 310 may be an S-shaped heat exchanger or a spiral type heat exchanger. In this embodiment, heat exchanger 310 is shown as a spiral-type heat exchanger.

If heat exchanger 310 is in the shape of a cochlea tube rather than an S-shape, the temperature distribution of heat exchanger 310 may not be formed. However, because this may lead to inefficiencies due to increased flow resistance, it is preferred that the length and diameter of the flow tube 312 be determined depending on the performance of the vortex tube.

Although the above embodiment has described the case where two vortex tubes are formed, the number of vortex tubes may be two or more. When the number of the vortex tubes is two or more, the vortex tubes may be classified into a first group of vortex tubes installed to supply cool air to the case side and a second group of second vortex tubes installed in the power conversion semiconductor device.

In addition, although it is described in the above embodiments that a plurality of vortex tubes are formed in a single compressor, the number of compressors may be equal to the number of vortex tubes. In this case, the compressor and the vortex tube may be connected in a one-to-one correspondence via pipes on which the same number of valves are formed.

More specifically, when a plurality of compressors, vortex tubes and valves are correspondingly formed, the valves may include a first valve and a second valve. A first valve may be installed between the first vortex tube and the corresponding compressor. A second valve may be installed between the second vortex tube and the corresponding compressor.

In this case, the control unit may send a valve opening signal and/or a valve closing signal to the first valve and/or the second valve.

The configuration of the cooling device for the power converter has been described above. Hereinafter, the operation of the cooling device for the power converter will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to fig. 4, the control unit 180 receives a first temperature measured by the first temperature sensor 121 and a second temperature measured by the second temperature sensor 122 (S200). The control unit 180 compares the received first temperature with a first set temperature to determine whether the first temperature exceeds the first set temperature, and compares the received second temperature with a second set temperature to determine whether the second temperature exceeds the second set temperature (S210).

If it is determined at step S210 that the first temperature exceeds the first set temperature and the second temperature does not exceed the second set temperature (i.e., is equal to or lower than the second set temperature), the control unit 180 transmits a valve-opening signal to the first valve 140 and transmits a valve-closing signal to the second valve 150 (S220).

Accordingly, the first valve 140 is opened to supply compressed air to the first vortex tube 160, and the first vortex tube 160 supplies cool air to the power converter 110 (S260). Specifically, the cool air supplied at step S260 is supplied to the case 111 of the power converter 110.

If it is determined at step S210 that the first temperature does not exceed the first set temperature (i.e., is equal to or lower than the first set temperature) and the second temperature exceeds the second set temperature, the control unit 180 transmits a valve-closing signal to the first valve 140 and transmits a valve-opening signal to the second valve 150 (S230).

Accordingly, the second valve 150 is opened to supply compressed air to the second vortex tube 170, and the second vortex tube 170 supplies cold air to the power converter 110 (S270). Specifically, the cool air supplied at step S270 is supplied to the power conversion semiconductor device 113 of the power converter 110.

If it is determined at step S210 that the first temperature exceeds the first set temperature and the second temperature exceeds the second set temperature, the control unit 180 transmits a valve-opening signal to the first and second valves 140 and 150 (S240).

Accordingly, the first and

second valves

140 and 150 are opened to supply compressed air to the first and

second vortex tubes

160 and 170, and the first and

second vortex tubes

160 and 170 supply cool air to the power converter 110 (S280). Specifically, the cool air supplied at step S280 is supplied to the case 111 of the power converter 110 and the power conversion semiconductor device 113.

If it is determined at step S210 that the first temperature does not exceed the first set temperature (i.e., is equal to or lower than the first set temperature) and the second temperature does not exceed the second set temperature (i.e., is equal to or lower than the second set temperature), the control unit 180 transmits a valve-closing signal to the first and second valves 140 and 150 (S250).

Accordingly, the first and

second valves

140 and 150 are closed to interrupt the supply of the compressed air to the first and

second vortex tubes

160 and 170, and to interrupt the supply of the cold air from the first and

second vortex tubes

160 and 170 to the power converter 110 (S290).

According to the present disclosure, a fanless design may be provided, thereby reducing the cost of fan replacement, and a vortex tube having semi-permanent durability is provided, thereby reducing maintenance costs.

While the present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The exemplary embodiments are provided to illustrate the invention, not to limit it. Thus, it is intended that the present disclosure cover the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cooling device for a power converter for cooling heat generated when the power converter including a heat sink provided in a case and a power conversion semiconductor device is driven, the cooling device comprising:

a compressor configured to generate compressed air;

first and second vortex tubes configured to generate cold air based on compressed air generated from the compressor;

a first valve mounted between the compressor and the first vortex tube;

a second valve mounted between the compressor and the second vortex tube;

a first temperature sensor and a second temperature sensor installed in the power converter and configured to measure an internal temperature of the power converter; and

a control unit configured to determine whether the first and second vortex tubes supply cold air into the power converter based on first and second temperatures measured by the first and second temperature sensors, respectively, and to transmit a valve-opening signal or a valve-closing signal to the first and second valves based on a result of the determination,

the housing is formed in a sealed manner,

forming a heat exchanger above the power conversion semiconductor device, and the heat exchanger is sealed by the case,

the heat exchanger has a plurality of columns and disks having a stacked structure alternately stacked with each other,

a flow guide is provided near the inside of the housing,

the flow guide is formed in the same direction as the direction in which the air introduced into the housing moves, the flow guide being located between a column adjacent to an inner side of the housing among the plurality of columns and the housing.

2. The cooling apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the control unit compares the first temperature with a preset first set temperature,

the control unit sends the valve opening signal to the first valve when the first temperature exceeds the first set temperature,

the control unit sends the valve-closing signal to the first valve when the first temperature does not exceed the first set temperature,

wherein the control unit compares the second temperature with a preset second set temperature,

the control unit sends the valve opening signal to the second valve when the second temperature exceeds the second set temperature, and

the control unit sends the valve closing signal to the second valve when the second temperature does not exceed the second set temperature.

3. The cooling apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the first temperature sensor is mounted in a case of the power converter, and

the second temperature sensor is mounted in a power conversion semiconductor device of the power converter.

4. The cooling apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the first vortex tube is installed to supply the cool air to a case side of the power converter, and

the second vortex tube is installed to supply the cool air to a power conversion semiconductor device side of the power converter.